ESC APE TO HAP PIN ESS

As Finland tops the rankings as the world’s happiest nation for the sixth consecutive year, we spend a week in the wilds of the country’s islands to discover what makes this destination so appealing

Words: Tessa Crowley

Heading out with Sidetracked Adventures and one of their trusty wilderness guides, I’m one of five women ready to undertake a week kayaking the Finnish archipelago. While camping trips were a regular feature of my childhood holidays, faced with the prospect of six nights under canvas I’m unsure how much of its charm may have worn off in the intervening years. It transpires that my worries are unfounded and, by day two, I’ve ditched the tent entirely, in favour of waking up on an incredibly comfortable mattress of bracken in the fresh Finnish forest to the sound of lapping waves. I’ve not slept so well in months and, rather than needing a desperate dash for a strong caffeine fix, feel alert as I opt for a quick stretch and pick my way down to the shore for a morning swim instead.

Despite being the world’s largest, the Finnish archipelago itself is relatively unknown. A collection of more than 50,000 beautiful islands tucked away in the Baltic Sea, I discover the waters are surprisingly fresh and the tides gentle, making it an ideal destination for both kayaking novices and wild-swimming devotees.

From our kayaks, drifting along under the sun, we point out the odd bird or landmark as we paddle; but it’s the flora that captures our enthusiasm – and taste buds – when tiny black jewel-like fruit are revealed as an abundance of bilberries on an uninhabited island.

While much-reduced levels of caffeine quickly diminish my jitters, there’s little doubt that the drifting days with no alarms, no news, and no cables have an unmistakable impact too. With signal scarce and zero wifi, my phone becomes a glorified camera; even my much-used notes app is shelved in favour of an analogue notebook and pen. I’m astonished to discover how long each day feels when not rushing from one task to the next, reliant on calendar alerts, alarms, and timers to get me through.

The Great Outdoors

I struggle to recall when I last spent a whole day, let alone a week, not at the beck and call of my mobile. A sad but fundamental reality of modern life, I find that, without my trusty tech, I initially feel bereft. I catch myself reaching repeatedly for my phone, as though a quick dopamine hit and social media doom-scroll might be preferable to the literal island paradise I’m inhabiting. What am I hoping to find within the confines of the screen that could compete?

As I rediscover my senses, I mull over what a week away is doing to my brain. Colours seem brighter, I’m noticing new textures, scents and sounds, and generally feel more engaged with my surroundings as my threadbare concentration returns.

When not out on the water, our days are spent swimming, reading, taking sauna, or chatting among the group. The satisfaction of an hour spent sunning on a rock; the thrill of returning to printed maps to pick our route, skilfully managed by our knowledgeable wilderness guide Chris; and the slow process of jotting down my thoughts at the speed of my own handwriting, are all indulgences I forgo day to

IN OUR FAST-PACED WORLD, A WEEK

OFF-GRID FEELS LIKE AN IMPOSSIBLY INDULGENT LUXURY – A WONDERFUL YET FORBIDDEN ESCAPE – AND THE SENSE OF FREEDOM FAR SURPASSES MY EXPECTATIONS

day. In our fast-paced world, a week off-grid feels like an impossibly indulgent luxury – a wonderful yet forbidden escape – and the sense of freedom far surpasses my expectations.

As the days progress, entirely self-sufficient, we find our rhythm, deciding on a whim how far to paddle, adjusting our course based on energy, morale and water-needs as the day unwinds. Coming across a sauna two days’ paddling from Helsinki, we discover how essential sauna culture is in the country, which contains 1.8 saunas to every inhabitant. The reality of this statistic becomes apparent when, just days later, we stumble upon a second, miles from supposed civilisation.

Call Of The Wild

Given the remoteness of our journey, interactions with locals are few, but the lure of the sauna clearly beckons, and we bump into another group who’ve come in by boat. Arriving second, they wait their turn, leaving us to prepare logs and curl thin strips of bark; restocking what we’ve used in readiness for the next visitors, so the all-important sauna fire can be started upon arrival. Once the wood-fire has heated up, we embrace the ritual with glee; basking in the heat until we can’t bear the humidity before making a mad dash out of the door, across the rocks, and into the relief of the refreshing ocean.

At the end of a week in this inhabited wilderness, I understand why the Finns rank themselves in that happiness top spot. The enjoyment I found in my time there was not loud but rather a quiet contentment with life. Surrounded by nature, with an incredible infrastructure supporting outdoors pursuits, it’s easy to tune in to the natural world and have an awareness of self, of community and culture, and of the country’s innate beauty. sidetrackedadventures.co.uk

While my week in the wilderness may not have been life-changing in the sense of a grand adventure, it did push me out of my comfort zone and provide a renewed appreciation for the simple pleasures of life. I feel more alert, well-rested, and even my somewhat evasive attention has improved. As I head back to the daily grind, I vow to be more Finn – taking some of this tech-free time and quiet calm back into each day, striving for the contentment and tranquillity I found on the islands.

Happy camper: Kayaking the Finnish archipelago with Sidetracked Adventures; a remote sauna (above)

Words: Becki Murray

It’s no understatement to say that the skincare industry is rapidly evolving, and that’s due in no small part to the empowerment of beauty customers. Indeed, backed by the power of digital discourse, it might seem like the modern shopper has all the skincare information they need at their fingertips. With a quick web search, there are skincare recommendations for every skin type and goal imaginable, and seemingly ever greater choices as new brands launch with growing regularity.

Skincare discussions on social media, for example – where Instagram and TikTok videos achieve millions of views – has even driven the rise of a new type of customer: the ‘skintellectual’.

These skincare aficionados have even helped democratise the industry, by placing the sharing of information in customers’ hands. No wonder then, according to Brandessence Market Research, that by 2026 the skincare industry is projected to generate an impressive $180bn.

Yet, while the beauty industry’s tradition of ‘top secret’ formulas and ‘miracle solutions’ is ending, key questions remain: Why do individuals still struggle to find products that work for them? Why does confusion continue? And to what degree are we replacing limited information with inaccurate information? »

Beyond The Buzzword

‘Clean’, ‘natural’, ‘medical-grade’… the skincare market is still dominated by buzzwords and, while they may appear to make product categorisation easier, in practice they mean very little. While the day-to-day customer shouldn’t need a science degree to understand their skincare routine, there’s a growing distance between the complexity of cosmetic science and beauty’s one-word darlings.

That’s especially true of those listed above because they lack legislation and have definitions that are consistently ill-defined.

Even so, the digitalisation of beauty is fuelling their use, powered by search engines that require you to use the right keywordto effectively search for products online. This only rewards the use of reductive language to ensure brands get noticed; even if this oversimplifies and misinforms.

How Fear Endures

Segregating skincare into ill-fitting boxes also creates false conflicts between different beauty ideologies, so, while information has become more freely available, skincare dialogue has also become dichotomised.

Consider synthetic ingredients, which have been demonised by their direct comparison to ‘skin and planet-loving’ naturals, despite labbased ingredients powering new innovations and advancing sustainability goals. After all, while natural beauty requires large acres of farmland to grow, synthetics can be engineered without picking a single flower. That’s a conversation worthy of much greater celebration.

Clean beauty is another key example. For something to be ‘clean’, there’s the assumption that something else is dirty, or, worse, unsafe.

Hence, the boycotting of skincare ingredients as ‘toxic’, or the marketing of ‘no nasties’ lists from ‘chemical-free’ brands.

Fundamentally, all ingredients are chemicals, so the term ‘chemical-free’ should have been quickly discarded as fearmongering. Yet, it still prevails. The reason, if you pardon the pun, is frighteningly simple: fear is one of our strongest emotions, meaning a ‘better safe than sorry’ approach can feel comfortable, even if it’s inaccurate.

Moreover, considering it’s legally required for skincare products to be thoroughly tested before they are sold, the enduring suspicion that brands are putting profits first [swindling or even harming customers] only draws attention away from finding tangible skincare solutions.

The Science Of Simplification

Even the biggest hero ingredient to emerge from the ‘skintellectual’ movement has not been spared from oversimplification. ‘Retinol’ is now one of the most searched-for skincare terms, powered by discussions around its wrinkle-smoothing abilities. Yet, ‘retinol’ itself is a buzzword term.

‘Retinoids’ is the more accurate categorisation for the group of vitamin A derivatives used in skincare, with different forms ranging from prescription-only retinoic acid, down to more stable yet less potent retinol esters. These forms can differ widely in effectiveness and side effects, but discussions remain around ‘retinol’ as a catch-all term –without acknowledging the nuance.

‘Retinol’ hype also overlooks one important fact concerning skincare scientific research: studies on ‘gold-standard’ ingredients are predominately conducted on the individual element, without any context of how the specific form, percentage, and interaction with other components within a product affects results. It therefore requires more than knowing ‘retinol’ is good for wrinkles to truly understand what products may help you achieve your goals.

The Solution

It’s clear that even with fast-paced development in the skincare industry, greater access to information has not necessarily led to better-informed customers. Luckily, the first step toward a solution is that simple acknowledgment. By taking time away from the constant feed of information we receive online, we can refocus on the quality not quantity of the skincare ‘education’ we have access to. Simply put, try to remember the three ‘Rs’: research, respect, and real transparency.

The best research to look for is final formulation clinical trials, conducted on a range of individuals in the appropriate age range and skin type. Another ‘R’ – the recency of studies – is also significant as research is constantly evolving. There’s even more creditability if the research is independent, to limit bias.

Significantly, brands should want to highlight this data, so don’t be afraid to ask for it and, in fact, a good rule of thumb is to ask a research-based question to any skincare brand you are considering. Is it open and well-balanced, or vague and illusive? True empowerment is knowing the brands you spend with treat you with respect.

Certification can also help cut through the noise of the skincare industry’s own hype, especially in the ‘organic’ and sustainability space where greenwashing can abound. (After all, ‘organic’ is another unlegislated term). Look for the logos of organisations such as Soil Association, BCorp and Leaping Bunny on accredited products, for independent, evidence-based analysis of a brand’s sustainability credentials.

Bear in mind, though, that research and accreditation also generate costs, which are often passed down to customers. It’s important to challenge brands to be transparent about this aspect of skincare marketing, while avoiding the temptation of placing value above efficacy. Particularly, while the rising popularity of ‘dupes’ – cheaper alternatives to popular products – can seem exciting, don’t be blinded by similar packaging, where often the core formula bears little resemblance.

Consequently, with the skincare customer, quite rightly, demanding more for their money, it’s time to step away from the buzzwords and create a more open skincare dialogue. By avoiding polarisation, and taking a balanced point of view, we can all make better-informed decisions.